


Branches

by Writingfish (idraax)



Series: Mike and Matt [2]
Category: Daredevil (Comics), Daredevil (TV)
Genre: Gen, I don't know what I'm doing, Multi, Other, experimental fic, feel free to remix/build on these if you want
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-25
Updated: 2015-07-03
Packaged: 2018-04-06 02:53:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 3,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4205226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idraax/pseuds/Writingfish
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Things that may or may not have happened in the universe of This is not your city, but it could be.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 2 Ways Foggy could have reacted to Mike

**Author's Note:**

> All of these are self contained.

1. 

Foggy pepper sprayed the crazy man in the face. The man screamed and squeezed his eyes shut. He got off the couch though, which Foggy wasn’t expecting and so he grabbed the baseball bat from his bag. 

“Stay back!”

The man ignored him, stumbling around the room, but managing to avoid all the furniture. Foggy frowned. He knew the place well, but he’d never seen the man before. He would have remembered that shade of ginger hair. 

Eventually, the man stumbled into the kitchen and over to the sink. Then he proceeded to turn on the water and wash his face. 

Foggy gaped at him and tentatively put the bat down. 

“Have you heard of the phrase ‘avocados at law’,” the man asks and his voice sounds really familiar and Foggy cannot deal with this. 

He sits on the couch and waits for Matt,  _his_  Matt, to come back. 

2.

Matt comes back before Foggy can pepper spray the crazy man in the face. He’d have to thank Karen for the suggestion. 

“I forgot my wallet,” Matt says, standing confusedly in the doorway. 

“Matt,” Foggy yelps. “There’s a crazy person in your apartment. I don’t know how he got in.”

“Oh,” Matt says, “I see you’ve met Mike.”

“ _Mike?_ ”

Matt closes the door and bolts it. Mike’s still on the couch-Foggy does not know how  _anyone_ can look as relaxed as him. 

“He introduced himself as you,” Foggy says slowly. “I know I wanted you to be honest with me, but I’d rather not get involved with your weird selfcesty roleplay Matt.”

Mike falls off the couch laughing and even Matt is clutching his sides giggling. 

(Years later, Foggy will think back on this moment and wonder if he planted the idea in his friends heads.)

“No, no,” Matt said, panting. “He’s telling the truth.”

Foggy crosses his arms over his chest and draws himself up.

“Alright, then tell me something only Matt would know.”

Mike hauls himself into a sitting position and rubs at the back of his head. 

“Alright,” he says, “remember that time when we were drunk in college and you were dared, by Marci, to wear a pair of her panties.”

Foggy nodded, heartrate practically quadrupling. 

“I think Marci took pictures,” Mike continued. “I also remember you dragging my hands over so I could see….my fingers were never the same.”

“We agreed not to talk about it,” Foggy burst out and then stopped. “ _Matt?_ ”

Mike waved. “Hi Foggy”


	2. The one in which Foggy is dead

When he gets back to his universe, Kirsten nearly slaps him across the face. 

Instead, he can hear her lower her clenched fists and take a deep breath before links arms with him. 

“I need to show you something.”

Her voice is calm, but there is something vulnerable underneath, as if she is going to burst into tears any minute. 

She leads him through the streets of Hell’s Kitchen; he isn’t sure if it’s his anymore. 

The city around them makes a half-remembered symphony that he used to hear in his dreams. Now, he dreams of  _their_  city and this one doesn’t feel the same. 

The streets around them quiet as they walk through suburbs and towards a small church. It’s different then theirs, but  _his_ father is buried here. 

She leads him into the graveyard and he digs his feet into the ground. The hollow feeling in his chest grows and he knows with a certain clarity that he does not want to see whatever she has to show him. 

“I  don’t,” he starts, swallowing. 

She shakes her head and pulls at his arm. 

“You need to see. You need to know.”

Her voice cracks and he can sense the tears that lie beneath. She is holding herself together for his sake and all of a sudden, he  _knows_. 

“Show me,” he says in a whisper, voice wavering. 

She leads him around headstones and towards where his father’s body used to lie. They walk a little past it and she lets go of his arm. He stumbles forwards towards the gravestone,  _Foggy’s_ gravestone, and kneels in front of it, tracing the engraving. 

“He died shortly after you disappeared,” she says from behind him and he can smell her tears. 

His own soak into the earth and he leans his head against the stone and whispers his apologies. 


	3. Is there a reason you're naked in my bed?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was for a prompt on tumblr. The prompt was the sentence, "Is there a reason you're naked in my bed?"

“Is there a reason you’re naked in my bed,” Matt asks giving Mike a confused look. 

Mike shrugs, wrapping the blanket around him more tightly. His heartbeat’s a little slow, meaning he’d lost some blood tonight, which explained the slight tremors he could sense. 

“There was blood all over the clothes I was wearing and I’m doing laundry. We don’t have any clean clothes left.”

Now that Matt was listening for it, he could hear the washer humming in the background like an airplane taking off. 

“Oh,” Matt said, pausing for a moment before beginning to take off his suit. “Move over”

Mike moved and Matt hesitated before sitting on the bed. 

“Do you-”

“Yes”

Matt sighed as he got under the blanket, wriggling his toes under one of Mike’s thighs. 

“I’m too broke to afford decent suits,” he said. “That one itched.”

Mike grumbled something, but leaned back against the pillows and handed him a headphone. 


	4. In which they can suddenly see

He blinks, an automatic reflex that has not meant anything in many, many, years, and sees sunlight and red hair. 

Everything is bright in a way his world has never been before. The noise around him falls away, the smells fade and touch dims all in the face of this impossible thing. 

“You…you look like _dad_ ,” he says to Mike, voice coming out teary and near hysteric. 

“I think…,” Mike looks like how he imagines he himself must look. 

“I think you look like  _mom_ ,” he continues and both of them stare at each other, eyes wide open, refusing to blink and barely breathing until a man in a red-gold plated suit comes up to them. 


	5. In which Matt is a ghost

Mike traced the letters of the gravestone over and over. The smell of burnt ozone wafted through the air and he pressed his fingers deeper into the engraving. 

“I had hoped to come home to you,” he told the gravestone softly. 

There was a rustle of wings from somewhere behind him and then the sound of barely-there footsteps. 

“You got here eventually,” the person behind him says and he whirls around, falling into a defensive stance. 

There are many,  _many_  ways to fake voices and his heartrate spikes and doubles at the thought. 

Then the figure steps closer and breathes a word into his ear, cold wingtips brushing his skin. 

He sways with a sob and reaches out to touch back, but his hand meets cold air. 

“ _Matt_ ,” he gasps. 

There is no air around him and he feels as if his lungs are collapsing inward. 

“Sorry,” Matt says, sounding far way. 

There is something that smells like magic, an electric crackle in the air and then Matt is  _there_ , hugging him. 

“I can’t hold this for long,” he says apologetically. “But, it’s one of the benefits of being bound to the city.”

Mike nods, feeling the wings warp themselves tighter around him, Matt opens his mouth to say something, but Mike grips him gently by the shoulders and kisses him. 

It’s dry and a little cold and at this distance, the smell of burnt ozone and magic is confusing his senses, but he tries to sear it all into his memory anyway. 

Too soon, they break apart because Mike needs to breathe. The smell of magic intensifies and the electric crackle comes again. 

Mike knows what’ll happen if he tries to reach out and touch, but he does it anyway and senses Matt’s sad smile. 


	6. Foggy Nelson and Doctor Strange

Two years later the universes collided and the first thing Foggy Nelson did was punch Doctor Strange in the face. 

“ _You_  asshole,” he yelled. “You  _asshole_.”

“Hello to you too, Franklin,” Strange said, rubbing at his left cheek. 

Foggy hoped he’d broken something. 

“This is all  _your_  fault!”

“We’re working on fixing it,” Strange said, trying to herd him into a near by building. 

They were attracting looks. Foggy didn’t care. 

“Not  _that_ ,” he growled. 

Foggy remembered the look on Mike’s face when he reached out to trace the engraving on the gravestone with violently trembling hands. The way he’d fallen to his knees and  _keened_. Matt had made a similar sound two years earlier when they found out that Mike had gotten sucked back into his universe. 

The rage rose up in him again and he wanted to wring Strange’s neck. 

“They were  _happy_ and you  _ruined_  it!”

He lurched forward and threw another punch. Strange blocked him, but he couldn’t avoid the tackle that sent them crashing to the floor. 

Foggy punched him in the face again and again, only stopping when Mike’s trembling hands gripped him by the wrists. 

He looked up. Mike looked  _wrecked_ , dirt smudged around his lips, sunglasses nearly sliding off his nose and red rimmed eyes blinking rapidly. 

“It won’t change anything Foggy,” he forced out, the words all cracked and broken. “It won’t-”

Foggy swung up off Strange and yanked Mike into a hug, both of them shaking. Behind them, Strange got to his feet, wiping the blood off his face. 


	7. Mike gets home

Mike felt the universe shift one morning on the way to the office. It was as if he had stumbled sideways slightly and he shook his head to get rid of the faint ringing sensation. 

His surroundings smelled a little off and he couldn’t detect any trace of the burnt ozone he had become familiar with. 

“Matthew!”

Mike froze. 

_Oh no_

Strange was hovering in front of him sounding extremely relieved. Mike wanted to punch him in the face. 

“Take me back.” He growled, forcing his hands to relax their grip on his cane. 

“But this is your universe,” Strange said, sounding confused. 

Mike glared in his direction. 

“It’s not anymore. Take me  _back_!”

He was going to be late. He hadn’t even  _called_. 

“I can’t do that Matthew,” Strange said, still sounding confused. 

“No…,” Mike croaked out and staggered to lean against the closest building. 

_This can’t be happening._

He sunk to the ground and nearly snapped his cane in half. 

“He’s going to think I  _abandoned_  him. You don’t understand.”

“Matthew-,” Strange said, landing on the street. 

“Don’t call me that,” Mike snapped. 

He hadn’t been called that in months, although there were still slip-ups. It echoed in his mind like a suit he didn’t quite fit anymore. 

“I’m sorry,” Strange said eventually and Mike felt the tears begin. 

“I was happy there. I was  _happy_.”

This wasn’t his city anymore. He felt, in his bones, the foreignness of it. 

“I want to go  _home,_ ” he choked out and let himself sob. 


	8. Reunion

The first thing that Matt smells upon waking is burnt ozone. 

He inhales deeply and jerks upright, gasping. 

 _Your universe smells like burnt ozone_ , he remembers Mike saying and he stomps down on the hope and yearning that rise up in him. 

He calls Foggy. 

“Dude,” Foggy says when he picks up. “The news is saying we’ve merged with another universe.”

Matt inhales sharply and Foggy pauses. 

“Do you think,” he begins. 

“I need to get to San Francisco,” Matt says, feeling his own heartrate spike and double. His fingers twitch and he curls them into fists in an effort to stop the shaking. 

“How,” Foggy asks. “You’ll never get a ticket; there’s too much chaos.”

“I’ll call Stark,” he replies and promises to call Foggy back as soon as he can. 

He hangs up on Foggy’s protests and dials Stark, who picks up on the second ring. 

“Hello?”

“I need a favor.” He pushes the blankets aside, gets up from the bed and starts pacing. “I need a ride to San Francisco. There’s someone I  _need_  to see.”

Stark’s quiet for a while and Matt can almost hear him thinking. 

“Okay, yeah,” he says. “I can do that. We’re all coming along though. Moral support and all that.”

Matt doesn’t care. He gets the details and hangs up, rushing to the closet and fumbling to throw on clothes. 

Six hours. In six hours, he’ll be in San Francisco. 

* * *

 

_6 hours later_

Matt grips Foggy’s elbow for support as they disembark from the plane. He know’s Foggy’s worried about him. He’s been tense for the whole flight, worries crowding his head. The others give them space, but stay close. He grips Foggy’s elbow tighter as he hears the voice he’s been dreaming of for several months. 

“Ow,” Foggy says, then gasps and Matt knows he’s seen him. 

Mike snaps a fine and looks up. His heartbeat goes wild. 

“ _Matt?_ ”

Matt lets go of Foggy’s elbow, drops the cane and  _pelts_  across the tarmac. Mike’s coming to meet him, moving equally fast  and they crash together to the ground,  _hard_. 

Someone behind them winces, but it barely registers as they breathe each other in. 

“Mike,”Matt says. “ _Mike_ ”

“I didn’t want to leave you,” Mike gasps, touching every inch of exposed skin he can reach.

“I know,” Matt says and they’re both tearing up and kissing through the tears.

Vaguely, they register people’s stares and Stark’s whistle, but the rest of the world fades until it’s just them trying to merge themselves into each other’s skin. 


	9. In which Matt gets captured a lot and Daredevil finally rescues him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written for [ a prompt](http://daredevilkink.dreamwidth.org/2760.html?thread=5117640#cmt5117640) on the meme that asked for bad guys kidnapping Matt because it was a well known fact that Daredevil wouldn't come for him.

It was open season on Murdock. After the first couple of times, word got around quick that the Devil wouldn't come to rescue him. Unfortunately, Murdock was notoriously hard to hard to kidnap.  
  
He'd toss himself out of windows, climb up fire escapes and even jump across buildings. For a blind guy, he sure was fast. Bobby couldn't blame him though. It's gotta be difficult with the knowledge that every single criminal in Hell's Kitchen was out for your blood.  
  
Bobby himself managed to capture Murdock on one rainy night. When he yanked the burlap bag off Murdock's head, the man glared, resigned, in his direction.  
  
"I'm not giving you any information on the Stewart case," he said tiredly. "So, we might as well skip to the part where you beat me up."  
  
Bobby winced. Murdock sounded fucking  _drained_  and for a moment he was angry at the Devil for letting him down. The Devil helped everyone else in Hell's Kitchen, even saved his grandma from being mugged last week, so why wouldn't he help Murdock?  
  
He sighed, pulled up a chair and sat down. He'd made Murdock's ropes loose. The poor guy wouldn't be able to get out of the building without being spotted, but the least he could do was make him somewhat comfortable.  
  
"Sorry dude," he said. "It's nothing personal, but my employer  _really_  wants that info and unfortunately for you, you're the only one the Devil won't come for."  
  
"Yeah," Murdock said and,  _god_ , he sounded like he was about to cry. Bobby couldn't deal with crying people, a fact that his fifteen year old son used against him whenever he wanted his way. His anger against the Devil grew and all of a sudden he wanted to track the Devil down and give him a piece of his mind.  
  
Luckily for him, he'd get the chance.  
  
About thirty minutes after he and Murdock had been engaged in a not-staring contest, the Devil showed up.  
  
"Matt," he yelled upon seeing Murdock and the naked hope on Murdock's face made Bobby's heart crack a bit.  
  
"You  _came_ ," Murdock whispered and Bobby couldn't stand it anymore.  
  
"You," he growled stomping over to the Devil. " _Now_  you show up, after 50 kidnappings!"  
  
They had a bet going after the first three times the Devil didn't show when someone kidnapped Murdock. When would The Devil of Hell's Kitchen come rescue Matt Murdock? No one had bet this high. Robbie would be keeping all the money. Bobby didn't care though, because right now there was nothing more satisfying than breaking the Devil's nose.  
  
"Where were you?" he demanded. "Murdock's a good guy. He helped get my son outta trouble a few years back. The only reason I took this job was so that I could give him a break from being hurt all the time, so I figured we'd just sit here until the police showed up."  
  
The Devil looked confused.  
  
"You  _weren't_  going to hurt him," he asked slowly.  
  
Bobby shook his head and glared harder.  
  
"What I don't understand is why he's still loyal. He's been kidnapped  _50_  times and  _still_  hasn't given up any info on you despite the broken bones. You don't deserve it."  
  
The Devil nodded, swallowing.  
  
"Yeah," he whispered. "I don't."  
  
His voice sounded teary and Bobby blinked in shock. Had he made the Devil  _cry_?  
  
Quickly, the Devil walked past him to kneel at Murdock's feet. He took Murdock's hands, gently. like those guys in those romance movies his sister liked to watch, and leaned his forehead against Murdock's knee.  
  
"I am sorry," he whispered, voice muffled. "I should have come, but I didn't. I will make sure _no one_  comes after you again."  
  
Then, he rose, took Murdock's face in his hands and kissed him.  
  
Bobby's jaw dropped and Murdock said the Devil's name in a strangled voice. It sounded like Mike.  
  
The kiss was brief, but it was the hottest thing Bobby had seen. The Devil pressed his forehead against Murdock's and whispered something that Bobby couldn't hear. He didn't think he wanted to; it sounded private.  
  
He gulped when the Devil turned to him.  
  
"Tell your  _friends_ that if they try to kidnap him again, they will whimper in fear and wish they were dead."  
  
The words, Bobby had heard before. Numerous people had threatened him; it came with the job. But the  _tone_ , the tone the Devil had used would follow him into nightmares for the next couple of months.  
  
Bobby nodded, squeaked out a yes and that seemed to be enough for the Devil because he turned back to Murdock and began to get him him out of the rope.  
  
Bobby didn't stick around to see what happened next. Now was a good tine to leave and call Elise about that bakery she wanted to start. He made a mean apple pie after all.


	10. Ghost Matt tells Mike to leave

“You should go back,” Matt says and Mike can feel the cold spot where he should be. Burnt ozone wafts through the air, along with the scent of earth after rain. 

“There’s _nothing_ left for you here,” Matt continues and Mike wishes he still had a physical presence that he could sense. He cannot sense Matt properly and not for the first time, he thinks he’s going mad. 

“The other one doesn’t feel like home anymore,” he says simply and sticks his hands in his pockets. It’s easier than properly explaining. 

The graveyard around them is silent and the rest of the city muffled. There is a rustling noise and he can feel the air solidify before there are cold lips on his forehead.

“Try to build a new life,” Matt says. “You can’t keep coming here.”

That alone convinces Mike he’s real. None of his other hallucinations had cared for his well being. 

 _You’re here_ , he wants to say, but that’s the point.  He couldn’t keep clinging to the past any more. 

He sighs, feeling his breath waft through the air and merge with the currents already there. He imagines Matt inhaling it and has to blink back tears. 

“Goodbye then,” he says instead of the words he has trapped behind his teeth. _I love you. I think you were it for me._

“Have a nice life,” Matt says and for a moment, Mike can feel him and he tries to memorize it with every sense he has. It’s gone all too soon and the graveyard feels even colder. 

He leaves, letting himself out, and walks down the quiet streets. Even now, in the early morning, they thrum with life. 


End file.
